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2019-06-19T14:30:55.84Z

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To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement
of 21 November 2017, HCWS 265, Toxicology, how many toxicology tests commissioned
by local authorities resulted in erroneous results which altered a child protection
decision.

<p>The department wrote to all local authorities in England asking them to review
whether they had commissioned forensic tests from Trimega Laboratories Limited between
January 2010 and April 2014. 131 local authorities have confirmed that they used the
services of Trimega Laboratories Limited during this period.</p><p> </p><p>It is unlikely
that decisions about the welfare of children will have been taken solely on the basis
of toxicology test results, as this would only form part of the evidence that local
authorities consider when making decisions about vulnerable children. The department
does not have oversight of individual decisions made in local authority areas but
have asked local authorities to consider whether any additional action is necessary
in order to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the
Draft agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland from the European Union and the European Union and the European Atomic Energy
Community, for what reason the provisions in Article 174 granting the Court of Justice
of the European Union the jurisdiction to provide an interpretation of Union Law and
of the Agreement was included.

<p>Under the Withdrawal Agreement, if there is a dispute which involves a question
on the interpretation of EU law, the panel will not decide on that question, but request
the CJEU to give a ruling on it. It will, however, still be for the arbitration panel
to rule on the dispute itself.</p><p>Under the EU Treaties, the CJEU is the only body
which can deliver interpretations of EU law which bind the EU and its Member States.
If the arbitration panel was empowered to interpret EU law and bind the EU and its
Member States to this interpretation, it would be considered unlawful by the CJEU
and prevent the EU from being able to sign up to such a provision.</p><p> </p>

<p>The Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs to start and grow a
business, and as part of our Industrial Strategy, we have taken steps to encourage
women to start a business. There are now 1.1 million female-led small and medium-sized
businesses in the UK, which accounts for 19% of SMEs in the UK, 5% higher than in
2010.</p><p> </p><p>There are 38 Growth Hubs across England which provide localised
information, guidance, expertise and finance for businesses at any stage of their
growth. We know that 45% of callers to the Business Support Helpline in 2017/18 were
women.</p><p> </p><p>The Government-backed British Business Bank provides Start-Up
Loans for individuals wishing to start a business and women account for 39% of recipients.
The Scheme started in 2012 and as at the end of September 2018, the Start Up Loans
programme had lent £450m to more than 59,000 entrepreneurs. The Bank is also conducting
a review into the specific barriers female-led businesses face in accessing Venture
Capital.</p><p> </p><p>I would also like to point out that on 21 September 2018, the
Treasury launched a review into the barriers women face getting into business. This
is led by Alison Rose, Chief Executive of RBS Commercial and Private Banking. This
review will bolster our work to make it easier for them to access the support they
need to get their ideas off the ground and grow their businesses.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made
on the effect of universal credit on the mental health of applicants with terminal
illness; and how many applicant applied for universal credit under the special rules
in 2018.

<p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are
committed to supporting those with physical and mental health conditions, and ensuring
that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care, when
making a claim to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit provides enhanced
personalised support for people. Universal Credit is simplifying the benefits system.
All claimants, including vulnerable claimants and those with mental health conditions,
receive continuous tailored support managed through personal work coaches, who know
each person. We have started to deliver additional training in mental health that
will be available to work coaches to build their expertise and provide the most effective
support.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for
vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive
to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our
own staff or via referrals from local services.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested
on special rules is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate
cost. We have committed to explore options around data sharing with the SSAC to consider
how current practices could be enhanced. Analysts are currently investigating the
availability of this data further.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether
his Department has plans to extend (a) maternity and (b) paternity leave and pay for
parents of (i) very sick and (ii) premature children.

<p>Officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have now
completed the preliminary work on the internal review of the provisions for parents
of premature, sick and multiple babies. This work sought to obtain a high-level understanding
of the barriers to participating in the labour market that these parents can face.</p><p>The
purpose of this preliminary work was to provide initial advice to Ministers, including
identifying potential areas for further work.</p><p>I will consider this advice and
expect to be in a position to say more about next steps in due course.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on
implementing the recommendations in relation to health from Lord Ashcroft's Veterans'
Transition Review published in February 2014.

<p>All the significant recommendations from Lord Ashcroft’s Veterans’ Transition Review
have been implemented and are now routine business for the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
In May 2018, Lord Ashcroft stepped down as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative
on Veterans’ Transition. In his letter to the Prime Minister, he said that while work
remains to be done, “<em>I am pleased with the many practical changes that have been
brought about as a result of the Transition Review, and that the whole issue of veterans’
transition now has a higher profile in government and beyond</em>.” The full text
of Lord Ashcroft’s letter to the Prime Minister, along with a copy of the Review,
follow-up reports and associated documents can be found at the following address:</p><p><strong>http://www.veteranstransition.co.uk/</strong></p><p>
</p><p>This Government is not complacent, and we are working to further support our
military veterans. In November 2018 the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments published
an evidence-based ‘<em>Strategy for our veterans</em>’ which will work to ensure veterans’
issues are considered, coordinated and delivered across the UK <strong>(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategy-for-our-veterans).</strong>
This builds on existing progress, including in health issues where specific care pathways
for veterans have been developed around mental health and prosthetic aftercare.</p><p>
</p><p>As part of the Strategy we are also this year introducing a holistic transition
policy. Transition support currently provided by the MOD largely focuses on employment
support, delivered by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which supports Service
leavers in their transition from military to civilian life through a range of career
and employment support services including skills development workshops, seminars,
resettlement training advice, vocational training courses, career consultancy, one-to-one
guidance and job finding support. However, transition is far wider than finding employment,
and relates to the significant life changing processes which affect both the Service
person and their immediate family through the entire time they are within or connected
to the Armed Forces, through to discharge and beyond, which need to be appropriately
addressed to ensure successful transition into civilian life. This will include transition
to civilian health care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant
to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 242927, how the Government is ensuring
the exclusion of regulatory provisions from the Business Impact Target in relation
to the safety of (a) tenants (b) residents and (c) occupants in buildings as a result
of the Government’s response to the Grenfell tragedy, reviews, inquiries or working
groups; which regulatory objects and subjects have been excluded in this way; and
which units within the Government and regulators are responsible for ensuring this
exclusion.

<p>As set out in the Written Statement of 20 June 2018, departments and regulators
are legally responsible for certifying if their regulatory provisions are covered
by the Business Impact Target exemption relating to the safety of tenants, residents
and occupants in buildings that stem from, or relate to, Government’s response to
the Grenfell tragedy, reviews, inquiries or working groups. Any measures which have
been certified by the individual departments or regulators under the Grenfell exclusion
are listed in the Better Regulation annual report. The 2018/19 annual report will
be published in due course.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
assessment he has made of the suitability of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary joining
the Alpha Pensions scheme as directed by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.

<p>As is the case with other Public Sector employees, the Civil Nuclear Police Authority’s
employees will move into the Alpha Pensions scheme. A decision to modify the statutory
scheme ultimately rests with HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. BEIS officials are
engaging with all interested parties to provide certainty for CNPA and its staff.</p>

<p>The Employment Tribunal Service case management system does not collect or hold
the level of detail of information requested, which could only be obtained from the
paper records of each tribunal office.</p><p> </p><p>People with HIV are automatically
considered disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 and afforded all the
relevant protections under its provisions, which make it unlawful to discriminate
against people because of a disability in matters of employment, education and the
provision of goods and services.</p><p> </p>